Contents

Ciddor was born in January 1957 in Melbourne, Australia...[2] She was brought up in a house without television, and had an inventive and creative childhood.[3] She also had a strong interest in mathematics, and after finishing school, she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in mathematics from the University of Melbourne and a Diploma of Education from Melbourne State College.[2] Her first career was as a senior school mathematics teacher, and it was only after marrying and having children that she began writing and illustrating.[3]

Her first book accepted for publication was a picture book,Take Me Back, published in 1988.[2] This book took the reader back in time to show how people lived in Australia in the past.[3][4] For the next few years, Ciddor continued to write and illustrate non-fiction books, concentrating on bringing history to life for children.[4] In 2002 Allen and Unwin published her first historical fantasy, Runestone, book 1 of Viking Magic. This children's novel, and the other Viking Magic books that followed, use historical details and strong storylines.[5][3]

Ciddor based her fantasy books on global folk, fairy tale, and myth[7] as well as research into historic lifestyle and belief systems.[8] At the Melbourne Writers Festival in 2007 Ciddor appeared on a panel with Sophie Masson and Kate Forsyth discussing the historical truth behind their fantasy novels.[9] In a study of Canadian children's fantasy, author K.V. Johansen included a chapter on Ciddor's Viking Magic books because 'Although not by a Canadian author, the Viking Magic series is noteworthy' and 'does more towards realistic historical fiction than many "time-travel to learn history" novels' [10]

In 2016 Ciddor changed to historical fiction with the release of The Family with Two Front Doors, published by Allen and Unwin.[11] It won a Notable Book Award from the Children's Book Council of Australia in March 2017.[12]The Family with Two Front Doors is based on interviews with the author's grandmother Nomi Rabinovitch, and tells the story of Nomi's childhood as the daughter of a rabbi in 1920s Lublin, Poland.[8][13][14] The writing style is inspired by Little House on the Prairie, presenting vignettes of the everyday life of a family.[8] The book combines historical fact and imagination but no fantasy elements.[13] According to a review by the Victorian Association for the Teaching of English, it is "an informative, gentle read' that "offers insight into how a Jewish household is run".[15] Unlike most books about the Jewish past, this one does not focus on the Holocaust and "there is... no violence and no hatred... but a charming reconstruction of daily routines".[16] Readings Bookstore, winners of the international Bookstore of the Year Award [17] described The Family with Two Front Doors as a modern counterpart to the classic book Little Women.[18]

Ciddor's most recent book, 52 Mondays, was published by Allen and Unwin in 2019. It is a fictionalised account of Ciddor’s own childhood, filled with memories of Melbourne in the 1960s.[19]